Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1887-09-02
CORRESPONDENCE.
The Mining Season In FiOrenct
and UdrreMs--A ftOn District
Coming to the Front Etc.

ing season in Florence is very dull, and
the old camp appears to me to have
taken big drop down hill this summer.
The old town still stands, much to the
surprise of those who know the old
ramshackle buildings of which it is built
but the snow fell SO deep last winter
hat the houses were literally showed in
80 that they couldn't fall. G. B. Brow n,
Bob Royal, John Lee and Chris Arnold
spent the winter in camp, the latter two
working on their "Bear Track" ledge,
and altogether they appear to have
rather enjoyed the winter. Mike
Deasy and Peter Turnbull are working
Gold Lake with the usual fair results.
tPoker) Kelly is located east of the Bear
Track Prof. John Q. WEIGH is piping
and also working his quartz lodges at
the head of Pioneer gulch. and Kiss
Smith and Tom Clark are at work near
town. John Clark has recovered from
his recent sick spell SO as to be about
the house, but is not yet ION deck"
altogether. Pete Marriott (Honest Pete
has struck ten dollar diggings at the
head of Shissler creek, We miles south
west from Florence, and is putting the
claim in shape to work it with hydraulic
next season. Shissler creek puts into
Salmon river about five miles above
Shearer's ferry and is called after Frank
Shisser, who built bridge across it in
early days.
John Clark is working on Sand creek.
where he has lot of good grade ground
hut in his present state of health he has
his hands full in attending to his store
and hotel in town. John is a GOOD
friend to the newspaper men and always
treats them in royal style as they pass
through Florence, and he has the
thanks of the writer for generous treat
ment on sundry occasions.
There is nothing new in the develop
ments of the camp. A brother of Welch
discovered this spring ledge called the
'Gold Iiill' which prospects very well.
company cmposed of Prof WEIGH his
brother and Benner have built an arasta
with which they are crushing quartz
from the head of Pioneer, and are doing
very we'll with it. Chris Arnold and
John Lee are still working the Bear
Track, which maintains its reputation as
Inc richest little quartz ledge in all
Idaho. They have opened a cut into the
MI back OF the shaft they sunk last
season, and have uncovered some rich |
seams in the bedrock from which first
rate prospects are obtained. The ledge
Itself is about four inches wide, aud
much of the rock will 90 four bits to the
pound. They have an arastra on the
claim and have taken out considerable
money this spring. An examination of
Inc SOFT bedrock of the camp convinces
me that 1t contains much gold, the for
nation having been subjected TO some
:onvulsion OF nature which has broken
Z up into numerous convolutions and
lie gold which was deposited on the
uriace, las by the process of nfiltra.
ION, dropped into the numerous crevices
t the bedrock. / feel satisfied that ,
he entire formation of the camp /
'ould pay TO pipe, provided the water &
nd hydraulic pressure could be found. Z
IS II Is, these two essentials, water and a
iessure are not forthcoming, and q
ence washing of the bedrock is con- '
Dnhned to the spots where the crevices t
re- most numerous, which is what is I
California, seam mining. a
lac quartz lodges of the camp consist b
series of small irregularly defined
eins which dip generally perpeadic-
arly into the formation without any .
gard to systematic course. Prof.
ielch stripped last year nearly two :
res OF ground on the head OF Pioneer +
llch which shows about forty of these '
ems. nearly all of which are very rich |
hese veins are SO thick and the bed
ck Is 30 broken up and carries so
any gold-bearing crevices that the I
tire formation would undoubtedly pay II
rgely II put through stamp battery or
I'd subjected to ordinary quartz treat or
ent. There are acres and acres Of bs
Oh ground now lying idle, that a, ds
ght expense could be made to rival 60
old-tlme yield ofgold. AS mattel n rn'
Tact 1t Is amazing 10 us Latter-day re
mers that the gold bugs who of old lie,
arlhed these hills in their pursuit of ro 20
ealth which lies scattered on the sur-
,e OF the camp. but SO it is, and when
ese resources of the old camp shall -
come properly developed and util- NJ
ID, Florence will eclipse her old time
of the precious metal,
cause rs all old-timers know. there is
IRE money there yet, than has ever na,
en- taken out to /
There is a stack of sacks of ore from Of /